"There is a natural
apprehension under danger; but there was unbelief in their fear. It
is worthy of notice how considerately the Lord defers this rebuke
till He had first removed the danger, in the midst of which they
would not have been in a state to listen to anything."

"Jesus didn't expect them to stand steely-jawed and silent in the face of the storm. He simply expected them to manage their fear by knowing that he was there, and that he was able, and that he would act."

"Is this a directive for us to stand firm and keep believing in the midst of all the storms we inevitably face? Yes, be smart. Do take cover. But panic is not ever faith-full. Bowing to our terror most likely will only make things worse."

"We say we believe God is a God of love, and that God loves us unconditionally. But the real challenge is to entrust ourselves into the care of this loving God—especially when we're afraid. The only way to do this is to let go whatever it is we're afraid to lose. If the essence of fear is trying to control, the essence of faith is letting go."

"People who think of the sea as a scenic view from the boardwalk as they slurp their snow cones don't understand where Mark is coming from in characterizing the sea. People who have been through a hurricane or a tsunami, however, get it."

"Even when the seas threaten to engulf us and
human imperial posturing threatens our home and the heart of our
identity, the Risen One is always in the boat with us. Christ's
words, 'Peace! Be still!' still promise to carry us safely through
the night."

"Jesus
Stills a Storm," Michael A. Turton's Historical Commentary on the
Gospel of Mark, "a complete verse-by-verse
commentary on the Gospel of Mark, focusing on the historicity of people,
places, events, and sayings in the world of the Gospel of Mark."

"While we may pray that Jesus
would work miracles in our lives and in our world and in our
neighborhoods; the miracles that come probably won't let us off the
hook from doing some of the hard work required to do what Jesus has
called us to do."

"The storms, coupled with the Gospel?s eventual
spread into socially and religiously unclean lands, give me
perspective on how we are called to have faith and share faith
across boundaries ? boundaries that may challenge or even offend our
religious institutions."

"Gilbert helps me suspect anew that the power of
the psychological immune system we spy through the lens of cognitive
science may be only the first level of what we may glimpse if we
open ourselves to the resources that Mark and Paul tell us come from
beyond."

"Both the storm and the
fears of the disciples are calmed by the words of Jesus. Stormstiller is
Peacemaker. In the context of this book, that means that God also is
Peacemaker. God cares whether or not the human enterprise perishes. God
works in mysterious ways to bring peace. The storm clouds above our
heads are rich with mercy."

"Jesus? parables cannot be understood by standing
apart from them with arms folded in neutral objectivity. They can
only be understood by 'entering' into them, allowing their stories
to lay claim on us. How do we drop our guard so parables may have
their intended effect? The answer, repeated throughout Mark 4, is
that we enter parables by hearing."

"In
terms of rhetorical background, our survey of "questions" indicates that how
they function more often than not as competitive, even hostile weapons intended to inflict
major damage. Questions score points, draw blood, and shame opponents. The same
interpretation applies equally to the phenomenon of answering a question with a
counter-question, which also is an aggressive weapon. And by observing who is reduced to
silence, we have narrative clues about who triumphed in the question game and who
lost."

"Is trouble brewing in your life? Does God seem to be asleep in the helm?
Are you terrified about the prospects for the immediate future? Then by all means scream
at God with all your lungs, make your complaint known, voice your panic, explain your
fears, plead your case and dont be distraught when the ceiling echoes back
only your own voice, and you sit there hollow and in tears."

God, Who Made Each Great Wide Ocean, Carolyn Winfrey Gillette’s hymn inspired by water-related stories in the Bible (creation, Noah, Moses and Jesus) including Mark 4:35-41: "Frightened by a storm they called him, 'Master, will you let us drown?' In that boat there, Jesus awed them; he said 'Peace!' The winds calmed down." Tune: BEACH SPRING 8.7.8.7 D (“God Whose Giving Knows No Ending”).